Learn How to Use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The English language has a lot of tense formats, and you need to learn and master them all if you want to improve your English speaking and writing prowess.

In this article, we will look at one such tense format—the Past Perfect Continuous Tense.

What is the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

Progressive tenses is another name for continuous tenses. As a result, the past perfect progressive tense is another name for the past perfect continuous tense.

When discussing an event that began in the past and continues into the present, the present perfect continuous tense is employed. The activity starts in the past, continues in the past, and concludes in the past at a certain time is the past perfect continuous.

The tense will be constructed using the words “had been” + the present participle of the verb used (verb+ -ing.)

Rules of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous tense rules involve using of a main verb and two auxiliary verbs, the same way the present perfect continuous also does.

These three verbs will appear in a particular order. The first auxiliary verb will always be “had,” accompanied by “been.”

Leave this out, and the tense is no longer a past perfect continuous tense.

When speaking about the time of the action in the past perfect continuous tense, you can use words like “for,” “when,” “before,” and “since.”

Example:

Marylyn had been acting on Broadway before the accident, claiming her sight happened.

In the case where the past perfect continuous tense needs to be used for a negative sentence, there is going to be a slight change.

Not is placed after the first auxiliary verb, “had.”

James had not been playing loud music when dad drove into the garage.

Felicia had not been picking stones when she stubbed her toe on the rock.

An interrogative form of the past perfect continuous tense would have the first auxiliary verb “had” come first before the subject. This is followed by the second auxiliary verb, “been,” the main verb, and the rest of the sentence.

Examples:

Had James been playing loud music when dad drove into the garage?

Had Felicia been picking stones when she stubbed her toe on the root?

How to Form the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous formula only requires the present participle of the verb and the auxiliary word “had been.”

Here is what it should look like forming past perfect continuous tense sentences.

Past perfect continuous examples:

James had been playing loud music when dad drove into the garage.

Felicia had been picking stones when she stubbed her toe on the rock.

The killer had been watching the investigators at the crime scene from a close distance.

Conclusion

Using the past perfect continuous tense is easy as long as the rules are obeyed. With practice, you will get better at forming and using this tense format.

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